“Don’t worry,
ma’am, help is on the way.” I pulled out my cell phone. I’d have to destroy it
after calling the cops, but it was a disposable phone, easy to replace. No one
could trace the call back to Robin Laughlin. “Failstate?” The victim’s voice,
weak and thready, was all too familiar. I turned toward the woman and my mouth
ran dry. Staring up at me, blood spattered across her mask and face, was Lux.

Book: Failstate by John Otte,
Marcher Lord Press, 2012

Genre: Fantasty

Target Audience: Boys 13-19

Subjects: Gifts/talents/skills, unity,
teamwork, good vs. evil

Summary: Having superpowers is hard
enough, but when Robin and his brother join a reality tv show with others who
have superheros, competing for a license to be a full superhero, life gets even
harder. Then a tragic death of a team member changes his perspective on
everything. Determined to find her killer he undergoes an investigation that
could cost him everything – the girl he likes, his already shaky relationship
with his mom and brother, a new friendship, and possibly even his very life.

Notes: This is something I haven’t
seen before: a comic book type story but with no pictures. It’s all novel – 316
pages! It’s the story of characters who superpowers who try to live normal
lives most of the time. It takes place in a world that has set laws about how
to deal with those with superpowers. The spiritual emphasis comes primarily in
Robin learning that he can’t hold himself up as better than everyone else and
judge others, but truly does need their help. He is sitting in Church,
harboring anger and unforgiveness against others, when the pastor teaches on
James 2. Robin allows God to work in his heart and change his attitude. Rather
than a ton of spiritual elements throughout the book, it’s like that is the
climax of the story – everything built up to that point and that point changes
everything. As for other elements, there isn’t a lot of graphic description of
violence – some – but not as much as you might expect from this style of story.
I highly recommend this story to those looking for a good adventure/comic book
kind of story that teaches the truths of Scripture.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Corinthians 1:10 – I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may
be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and
thought.

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